As the curtain draws on 2023 and we look forward to the year ahead, those reflecting on the past 12 months may well view it as a seismic year in women’s sport.
The Women’s World Cup in Australia saw the footballing world transfixed on the game’s elite females in a way never previously seen, and the first-ever qualification of the Republic of Ireland side saw the nation – and young females in particular – enthralled, inspired and emboldened with an ‘if they can do it, I can do it too’ attitude.
2023 also saw the second-ever staging of the Tour de France Femmes, a record 60,000 crowd went to Twickenham to watch the England versus France Women’s Six Nations decider and all four of the tennis Grand Slam finals were closely fought, nail-biting encounters that produced four different champions, demonstrating a strength in depth that is the envy of the men’s game.
KPMG ambassadors
And KPMG ambassadors Leona Maguire and Rachael Blackmore continue to be at the forefront of the rise, inspiring thousands of the upcoming generation to follow in their footsteps and reinforcing the notion that anything is possible.
For 2023, Leona had her sights set on another LPGA Tour victory and ensuring that the Solheim Cup remained on European soil.
Given the competitive nature of top-tier women’s golf, that was a high bar to set but with an incredible come-from-behind victory in the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan in June, she ticked off the first box, before taking the lead into the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in New Jersey a week later, where, amidst a stop-start, weather-hampered final day, she came up shy.
Leona Maguire, professional golfer
Solheim Cup excitement
The Solheim Cup – women’s golf’s answer to the better-known Ryder Cup – was staged the week prior to the male equivalent.
The undoubted hero of Europe’s 2021 victory on US soil, Maguire, now playing in her second Solheim Cup, was expected to lead the line and if Europe were going to hold off a star-studded American side, she was going to have to live up to lofty expectations.
One of only three players to be picked to play all five matches, her incredible, final-hole chip-in to win Friday’s fourball match was the catalyst that sparked an incredible European comeback, and her dominant singles performance ensured her fearsome reputation as one of golf’s great matchplay competitors was cemented.
“I am really happy with how the 2023 season played out,” said Maguire. “There were many positives that I will look to build upon as I move towards 2024 season prep.
“The highlights of 2023 would definitely include my win at the Meijer classic after coming so close to victory the past few years. Playing in front of home crowds in Dromoland was incredible once again and it was amazing to see so many young people in particular come out to support! Representing Europe and retaining the Solheim Cup was also another incredible experience, and I am really looking forward to hopefully going for 3 in a row next year back in the US.
“As I begin my prep for 2024, my sights are definitely set on representing Ireland at the Paris Olympics, an honour I’ve been privileged to experience twice and would relish the opportunity to do so once again. The 5 majors will also form part of my main focus, as I look to build upon previous experiences in order to contend in each of them as the season progresses.”
As the marquee player in the field of the KPMG Women’s Irish Open at Dromoland Castle, she may not have quite had her ‘A’ game, but the crowds flocked to Clare to get a glimpse of the superstar and she still battled valiantly for four rounds, finishing 14th overall.
But it was perhaps in the next generation that Maguire’s influence was most strongly felt. 10 Irish players in total teed it up at Dromoland, and the amateur quartet of Emma Fleming, Kate Lanigan, Beth Coulter and Sara Byrne – the latter taking leading amateur honours – all made the cut, meaning Maguire’s global success has a strong up-and-coming supporting cast who are likely to follow her into the professional ranks.
Diversity matters
Golf continues to spearhead the drive for inclusion and diversity and the DP World Tour’s G4D (Golf for the Disabled) is set for another standout year. Dundalk’s Brendan Lawlor who was born with Ellis-Van Creveld Syndrome, a bone growth disorder that leads to shorter limbs, is one of the leading stars on the G4D circuit and is ranked number two in the World Rankings for Golfers with Disability.
The pinnacle of Lawlor’s 2023 season came at the inaugural G4D Open at England’s Woburn Golf Club back in May. 80 of the world’s top eligible players were present, and Lawlor came out on top after three rounds, beating world number one Kipp Popert into second place.
Rachael Blackmore, professional jockey
A superb year for Rachael
Rachael Blackmore has long been one of the leading pioneers in women’s sport and she remains the only female jockey to be crowned leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival and the only female jockey to ride the winner in Cheltenham Gold Cup and Aintree Grand National.
2023 was another superb year for the Tipperary woman, notching an impressive 62 National Hunt victories and 97 places, with plenty more racing still to come over the Christmas period.
Her crowning achievements this year came again at Cheltenham when she rode Honeysuckle to Mares’ Hurdle success for the second time and followed up by bringing Envoi Allen first to the post in the Ryanair Chase. Then, at the Aintree Festival back in April, she guided Inthepocket to Top Novices’ Hurdle glory at the famed Merseyside racecourse.
“Christmas is a very busy time in the life of a jump jockey,” said Blackmore, for whom the end of the year is far from the end of the season. “It's not usually a time to reflect and look back on the year that has been as we are in the middle of our season. However, 2023 has been good to me, walking back into the winners’ enclosure with Honeysuckle for the Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham is definitely a standout moment and one I will never forget. I feel so lucky to have been associated with such an incredible mare and to see her finish like she did in Cheltenham was so special.”
“Racing isn’t a sport that allows you to look too far ahead, I try to take things week by week. My focus is always on the day of racing that is in front of me and trying to get the very best out of that. Naturally I’m excited for 2024, but there is a lot of racing to go over Christmas before the New Year kicks in so I'm really looking forward to that now."
What’s in store in 2024
Looking towards 2024, another fantastic sporting year is on the cards, with UEFA Euro ’24 in Germany, followed by the Olympic Games in Paris commencing less than a fortnight later.
For Blackmore, the focus naturally will be on the Cheltenham Festival in March – the Olympic Games of the National Hunt calendar – followed by Aintree once again in April and a return home for the Punchestown Festival in May.
KPMG tournament moves to Kildare
For Maguire, the KPMG Women’s Irish Open moves across the country to Carton House, a venue familiar to most of the elite Irish players as it is home to the Golf Ireland High Performance Academy. Its proximity to the nation’s largest urban area and its largest international airport means that the KPMG Women’s Irish Open promises to be bigger and better than ever.
Whilst the elite male golfers have been slow to fully embrace Olympic Golf, the same can’t be said for the women. Once again, the Olympic Games will be one of the highlights of the women’s golfing calendar and is an event that will be earmarked as a ‘must qualify for’ for all those outside the upper echelon whose participation is guaranteed.
One thing is for sure, though, 2024 is going to be another incredible sporting year and the leading Irish sports men and women are going to have a big part to play.
